Trunk hatbox



Mar. 20, 1923. 1,448,722 H. J. BRQWNV- TRUNK HATBOX Filed May 15, 1921 Patented Mar. 20, 1923.

BARRE J.. BROWN.,` or lviolvr'ranAL,4 senape.

TRUNK HATBOX;

Applicationtheme13, 192i. sei-mno. 469,129.

To all whom tfmg/ ,concern Bet-iti` knownthatf I, ylfliuairr J; BROWN, a subject; off4 the Kingy of/Grreat: Britain, and a resident. off- Montreal, Canada, have invente. ill` cer-tain new and useful; Improve,- ments` in Trunk Hatb'oxes, of which the foli lowing'iis a specification.y

The objects of this inventionraretopr vide a folding hat box I which i can be set: up inan ordinaryrtrunlr and which, when not in-actualy use, may-befolded or collapsed and stored in flat condition.

The invention also laims tocprovideia device offthis nature which: wille be relatively simfpflefand inexpensive and'whichwill be strong .and-durable so as to- Ythoroughly pro.. tect the hats and so asito withstandzthe `usage and `handling ltowhich'A such devices are subjected.y

A further important object is to make the device readily attachable to andfdetachable fromthe ordinary trunk.

Inthe. attainment of these objects,11 have; devised eertain'inovel features of;` construe tion, combinations and? arrangements of parts, all of which will appear from the following specification which is tothe. read inconjunction with-the accompanying draw,- ingforming Aparthereofand wherein Ik have disclosed the invention emboded'inone of its? simplest and :1 most practical z forms- Figure 11 in .the drawing is ai perspective view of the device as assembled and set up in the corner of a trunk, the walls and cover of the trunk being broken away and appearing partly in section. f

Figure 2 is a plan view of the structure in its folded form. i

Figure 3 is a detail of the two parts of the box in separated relation.

In the form herein disclosed, the body of the box is of rectangular shape comprising the four side walls 5, 6, 7 and 8, hingedly connected together at the corners at 9 so that they may fold into Hat form, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. These walls may be made up of heavy cardboard, for instance, covered by a suitable fabric which may of itself provide the flexible hinges for the corners 9.

This box form is usually set up in a corner of the trunk, as shown in Figure 1, with the wall 8, for instance, resting against an end wall 10 of the trunk, and the wall 7 restinoF against the back wall l1 of the trunk, and all tfour walls bearing at their lower edges on the bottom 12 of the trunk. The

collapsible wallsare :suitablyc seeured inrthis relation, inthe illustration,- bygstrapsljand le fastened sat: 15 andl6 :tovtl-ie;4 endiandrear wall of thel trunkV and deta'chablyfl conneeted with theendv andj= side walls andrei, of. the box [as by, means ofsnapior soacalledglove fastenings 17'; It; will be .evident thataiwlx'eil these fasteningsareengaged,K the box' will be firmly.,secured in the .cornerixof the trunk and will' be. rigidly,l braced-v by. the; corner walls of the trunk. lf desiredgalsml may provide one ori more stra yfastenings 18 for securing one f orl morefof'it e: collapsible walls of the box to the'bot-tom:ofithetrunk:

This constructi'on enables meto: quickly secure the box in. operative positionwithin the .corner of the trunkandat thesanietime enables the boxvto bereadily'detachedrflom the'trunk walls and to be flattened .outifoir shipment OrstOrage.

/ Thevarious :securing straps :are preferably c 1- fastened tothe tru-nl walls, as Ihave,shown.Y thatis, inbaek of or concealed-behindthe box walls. This.enables4 such fastenings to draw. and hold-the assembled 'boxfniorerinly in its corner.

Appliedfover'the upper edgesofthecbox y.

wall there is usually provided atop19 which likewise is. detachabl-y n secured i in place, for

instance, byineans ofi'fstraps 20 at thelfour sides f thereof; 'l said f straps :being secured, as indicatedat. 21; to 'the Slowerside :of suchtop and hewmg.,k snap* fastenings: 22 "for detach'- ably. engaging fthe top-to the. fourv side; wallsz The portions of such straps which lie at the under side of the top may seat in notches 23 provided in the upper edges of the box sides. This serves to position the top accurately on the side walls and exerts a certain bracing effect tending to overcome any collapsing pressure which may be applied to the box.

The top is shown as provided with an opening 24 therein to receive the cro-wn of the hat, and the side walls are indicated as having a certain curvature at 25 approximately the curvature of an ordinary hatbrim. This enables the hat` to fit with the brim resting snugly on the top 19 which ordinarily will flex to fit the curved edges of the side walls 6 and 8. This flexure of the top also, it will be observed, is effective in bracing the box against collapsing forces.

The straps at the sides of the top are shown as provided with upward extensions 26 and 27 which may be brought together over the hat seated in the opening 24, these straps being adjustably caught together, for instance, by a buckle fastening 28.

The fastenings by which the folding box is secured in the trunk are preferably orn such form or so constructed that they may be readily applied to the trunk walls. They may, for instance, be in the form of small leather tabs carrying glove fastener ele-v pact iiat bundle which may either be carried in the trunk or stored elsewhere.

What I claim is:

l. An open bottom collapsible hat box having four side walls hingedly connected at the ends to thereby enable such side walls to be folded flat against one another and to be vopened up into box-like form, said box having meansfor securing the walls in this expanded box-like form when the box is thus set up with two of its side walls backed against the corner walls of a trunk and resting with its lower edges on the bottomo the trunk so that said bottom of the trunk will then provide a bottom for the box.

2. An open bottom collapsible hat box having four side walls` hingedly connected at the ends to thereby enable such side walls to be folded flat against one another and to be opened up into box-like form, said box having means for securing, the walls in this expanded box-like form when the box is thus set up with` two of its side walls backed against the corner walls of a` trunk and resting with its lower edves on the bottom of the trunk so that saidD bottom oi the trunk will then provide a bottom for the box and a top for the collapsible box of the approximate outline ot' the side walls in their extended relation, said top having a seat for a hat and having means for detachably securing the same to the side Walls so as to thereby assist in holding the. collapsible walls in their extended relation.

3. A collapsible hat box having side walls so connected at their ends as to enable their being folded flat together and to be set up in box-like forni in the corner of a trunk with such side walls bearing against the corner walls of the trunk and sustained on the bottom ot the trunk and means :tor detachably and releasably securing and confining the box walls sustained in this set up relation in the corner of a trunk, ready to receive a hat and in condition to be quickly collapsed and tol'ded iiat li'or storage within the trunk.

4. The structure of claim 3 with a top detacha bly engageable over the side walls and havingcooperating positioning elements to assist in holding the side walls in their standing set up relation. v

5. A hat box having collapsible side walls which can be extended to form a box-like enclosure in the corner of a trunk, means for dctachably and releasably securing and coniining the thus extended box walls sustained in the set-up relation in the corner ot a trunk. a top for holding a hat, conforming in shape to the extended box-like 'form` and adapted to rest and be supported at the upper edges ot the side walls and means tor positioning and detachably securing the top thus detachably sustained by the side walls.

In witness whereof. I have hereunto set my hand this 9th day ot' May, 1921.

H. J. BROWN. 

